SHOULD CARPET BE REPLACED AFTER WATER DAMAGE

11/13/2019 (Permalink)

Wet Carpet from Water Damage

When excess water is on your property and doesn’t get addressed immediately, building materials,
furnishings and other porous objects will absorb the water and become damaged in the process.
Sometimes, the damage can be easily dealt with, especially if there is a small amount of water that is
clean. But other times, the damage is more difficult to handle, because the water involved is heavily
contaminated.
Seeing your house after flooding is a devastating experience for any homeowner. After the incident
he/she must decide what personal items can be saved and which should be replaced. If there is carpet in
the house, an inch of water can be a reason to replace the carpet. There are reasons why it is best to
replace soaked carpet than to save it.
Where does flood water came from?
1. Flood water comes from broken water pump in the house.
2. Flood water comes from a source with contaminants such as overflowing toilet.
3. Flood water comes from contaminated source such as sewer.
The more contaminated the flood water, the more disinfecting an item must go through to be safe for
people to use. Carpet that has been soaked in the water more than 24 hours is at risk of developing
mold and mildew. It is very difficult to completely remove from carpet. There is no guarantee that the
carpet won’t develop mold or mildew even after it has been cleaned.
Carpet that has been soaked in the water needs to be disinfected, and dried completely to kill any
harmful micro-organisms before it is safe to use. The carpet pad should be replaced and the floor
beneath the carpet cleaned and allowed to dry completely before putting carpet back down.
The cost of trying to save carpet can be high, and the long-term health effects may not be acceptable.

If you had a water damage emergencies, please call us SERVPRO of Ventura at (805) 656-3911.